Who We Are
Welcome to the Cervélo Pro Travel Experience, where pro cycling technology meets the art of great travel. We’ve designed every aspect of our travel packages with the passionate rider top-of-mind. And while our guests will eat and sleep very well, these are not gastronomic dalliances from vineyard to five-star table. There will be plenty of challenges, don’t you worry. We love to ride and we live for the romance and rigor of pro cycling. Our purpose is to share that same passion with you.
Our friends and fans know the Cervélo focus is all about innovation and we bring that same spirit to the Pro Travel Experience. Times have changed since 1996, but when we started cooking in our garage with a cool new approach to TT bikes, all we had going for us was creativity, passion and a belief that great ideas and a fearless determination could make us successful.
A few years ago, when we started to think about branching into travel, we wanted to stay true to those same beliefs. We found the right partner in Butterfield & Robinson. B&R have been innovating upscale biking and walking journeys across the globe since 1966. George Butterfield pioneered “active travel,” and his company’s expertise in delivering great experiences to B&R’s customers is second to none. A number of us at Cervélo have taken B&R trips and we know they are the real deal.
We’ve joined together because we share the same values and commitment to excellence. And, together, we’ve created entirely unique once-in-a-lifetime riding experiences.
The Creation of the Cervélo Pro Travel Experience
In 2009, Cervélo became the first bike manufacturer in the modern era to have its own cycling team at the highest levels of professional racing. Our goals were to compete successfully on the international level, and to actively encourage collaboration — among team members, our company, and other product sponsorship partners — to develop better products.
We also believed in the value of focusing intensely on fan interaction and experiences. This led to our first travel effort, Cervélo TestTeam (CTT) travel, which brought fans up close and personal with the pro cycling experience. CTT travel ran a number of successful departures, bringing fans and pro riders together during some of the sport’s biggest races.
The Cervélo Pro Travel Experience for 2012 resurrects the spirit of CTT travel, from the celebration of community among pro and amateur Cervélo riders to the raw excitement of behind-the-scenes access to the pro cycling world. The major difference this time around is that we’ve partnered with B&R to ensure that the quality of the travel experience will be as smooth and seamless as a Cervélo ride.
Go Slow
Butterfield & Robinson — It’s all About Active Trips Around the World
In 1966, George Butterfield pioneered a whole new way for curious and adventurous travelers to see Europe. His simple yet revolutionary idea? Ride a bike. Since then, B&R has been the leading innovator in active travel. Their single guiding principle is slow down to see the world.
We like that idea. And while it may seem contradictory to have an active travel company built around the concept of slow, in this case we’re talking less about the physics of speed than the metaphysics. Slow is a state of mind, a belief that life — and cycling — should be savoured, whether lingering over a Pinot Noir, gazing back over an idyllic vista earned by an invigorating climb, laughing with newfound friends or testing ourselves on the infamous Kopenberg climb at the Tour of Flanders.
B&R takes care of all the basics, so we don’t have to worry about them — from the roof over our head to the meal on the table to the knowledgeable ride leader who’s up at dawn to guide us to our dedicated support vehicle. Of course, it’s all about the ride — in this case, the iconic routes along some of the most glorious and occasionally punishing roads in the world. On the Cervélo Pro Travel Experience, we’ll ride fast but travel slow. That’s what lies at the heart of our way of thinking.
Go Fast
Cervélo — It’s all About Building Better Bikes
Cervélo Cycles began in 1995 when engineers Phil White and Gérard Vroomen — avid cyclists and designers who lived and breathed the world of pro cycling — were approached by a top-ranked Italian pro who asked them to design the fastest TT bike possible. They decided to start from scratch, dissecting and evaluating bike technology to not only improve on current standards, but to redefine them. The result was radical. The bike performed in spades, testing extremely well for aerodynamics, handling, stiffness and comfort.
In 1996 we launched with two road bikes and two trial/triathlon bikes. The technology was so radical that many pro cyclists were at first reluctant to try them, but eventually they came around. Since then, as Cervélo’s victories have surpassed our wildest dreams, we’re remained committed to one guiding principle: help our riders win by building better bikes.
To achieve this goal, it’s critically important to stay connected with all levels of the sport to help shape our bikes. In 2003, Cervélo started supplying bikes to Team CSC, which was subsequently crowned the world’s #1 pro cycling team. In 2009, with Cervélo TestTeam, we became the first bike manufacturer in the modern era to have our own cycling team at the highest levels of racing. And today, the ongoing relationships with Team Garmin-Cervélo and the Team TBB Triathlon allow Cervélo to continue to work closely with professional athletes in the service of continual improvement.
In the 2011 Kona Ironman, a whopping 488 athletes competed on Cervélo bicycles — that’s 3x more than any other bike company! We carried Thor Hushovd to victory in the 2010 UCI World Road Championship, Emma Pooley to victory in the 2010 UCI World Time Trial Championships and Caroline Steffen to victory at the 2011 European Ironman Championships. In 2011, Johan Van Summeren attacked to win Paris-Roubaix, bringing Cervélos palmarés in this race to six podium spots in six starts. From pros to amateurs, we’re proud of everyone who rides our bikes.
On the Cervélo Pro Travel Experience, you’ll immerse yourself in the world of pro cycling and see for yourself why so many champions pick Cervélo as their ride of choice.
